Pebble gets actionable Android Wear notifications

Pebble smartwatch owners who pair their device with an Android handset are about to get a major boost.

Version 2.3 of the Pebble app for Android enables users to act upon notifications from the watch, a la the Android Wear operating system.

As the watch maker points out (see videos below), Pebble wearers will be able to reply to Hangouts messages with an emoji or send money via Square Cash. It’ll also be possible to manage email and social networking notifications directly from the watch and much more.

“These new interactions from Pebble are amazing because Android developers do no extra work to make the magic happen,” the company wrote on its official blog.

“The Pebble Android app uses actions baked into Wear-integrated apps already. If you can do it with Android Wear, you can do it with Pebble.”

The update isn’t quite ready for prime time yet, but seeing as it’s the season of giving, Pebble is allowing anyone with an Android 4.0 (and up) to jump aboard by signing up for the public beta. A full release will launch shortly thereafter.

Pebble finished up its blog post with a thinly-vieled dig at the closed nature of Apple’s iOS ecosystem and a clear hint it wants to add iPhone Notification Centre integration to the Pebble platform.

The company wrote: “Integrating Pebble with Android Wear is thanks to the open approach Google built into Android’s notification system. Openness is a value Pebble shares and appreciates. We hope more mobile operating systems follow suit so all Pebblers – no matter their smartphone choice – can take advantage of all the delightful features we introduce now, and in the future.”

Were you thinking of trading in your Pebble for an Android Wear watch this festive season? Does this development alter your thoughts somewhat? Let us know below.

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